News > May 3, 2007

By Jae Haley | Managing editor

The university has ordered a study on the feasibility of substantially increasing enrollment. Preserving the university’s sense of community, small class sizes and high academic standards were some of the key issues raised by students at a forum on the study 4 p.m. May 1 in Pugh Auditorium. Though just a handful of students were in attendance, a speaker said he was struck by the number of people that insist the quality of education and life remain the same.

“People have a real passion for this place,” said Ben Edwards, a principal with Art & Science Group, the consulting firm conducting the study. The firm work to see if growth of the undergraduate population is both possible and desired by the university community.

The forum allowed Edwards to explain to those in attendance the direction of the growth study. As it is only two weeks old, he said that data is just beginning to be compiled and the bulk of it will be accumulated during the summer.

The study will be conducted in two ways, Edwards said. In the first track, the firm will conduct an in-depth survey of new students who have enrolled for the fall 2007 semester. It will also look at those students who were accepted to the university but chose to enroll elsewhere and high school students who are considering applying here.

“We need to understand the types of people who are considering Wake, taking into consideration what other schools they are applying to,” Edwards said. “You can’t just make generalizations about the ‘Wake Forest student’ without considering those universities.”

The second track examines the impact growth would have on classroom space, number of faculty, student life and residential issues, Edwards said. He said his firm is working with other universities who have gone through similar situations.

The firm is also considering surveying, though more informally, alumni, current students and students who have dropped out.

Results of the study will be released in September 2007, and forums will be held to inform students of the findings.

Many students at the May 1 forum raised questions concerning the purpose of the study, but Edwards said, “There is no predetermined factor for doing this study.”

He also said that the university has not yet decided if it is going to grow, or by what percentage; it is only considering options.

“Every institution needs to examine itself thoroughly to say ‘what’s the next thing we need to do to keep our edge?’” Edwards said. “It’s not necessarily about change but how to become better.”

Some students also expressed concerns that the goal of growth is to increase the endowment or to allow the university to be more competitive in a national rankings

However, Edwards said, “If this thing isn’t driven by what people care about, then it’s a mistaken exercise,” referring to growth just for the sake of prestige U.S. News & World Report rankings.

If the university decides to increase the enrollment, Edwards said the growth will not happen suddenly, but be phased over a period of years.

Though the specifics have yet to be determined, Edwards said that larger numbers might enable the university to increase diversity, offer a greater number of majors and support more faculty.

A forum specifically for faculty was held prior to the student forum at 1 p.m. About 70 faculty members attended. Edwards said staff and professors expressed similar concerns as the students; they wanted to make sure the university did not lose its sense of community.

Edwards also said a main concern of professors was preserving close relationships with their students.